So far we've covered the basic principles for getting rid of belly fat, and we've also discussed how to alter our diet's in order to achieve that end. We're ready for the third discussion on topic; how to get rid of belly fat by exercising.

This is a hotly debated topic and one that's highly misunderstood. Common fitness misconceptions include the notion of spot reduction, the idea that I can change one part of my body by doing exercises that target that one area. People want to get rid of belly fat, so they do crunches until they can't crunch any more. After a couple weeks they look the same. Puzzling.

Another fitness misconception is that long cardio sessions are the cure for belly fat woes. While this is in part true, it isn't the whole truth. For anyone who has tried long cardio sessions for any length of time has come to realize our bodies can adapt quickly to endurance training, and our metabolic rate may quickly shift to accommodate this extra energy output unless our diet is likewise adjusted downward.

The key to rapid weight loss, especially around the midsection, is through a combination of weight or resistance training and interval training. Weight training has several benefits to our overall body composition. The first is that the process of muscle breakdown and reconstruction itself requires a great deal of energy, and that energy, assuming you're not overeating, will draw from stored body fat to aid in the muscle building process.

The second benefit is the ability to increase the intensity of our interval and cardio sessions due to the added strength acquired from weight training. Endurance training and weight training are not exclusive. Each one aids in the progress of the other. A more intense cardio session amounts to more calories burned which in turn helps you get rid of belly fat.

And the third benefit of weight training, assuming you're doing it intelligently and seeing results, is the extra lean muscle mass you have, which also needs more fuel to sustain. This requires more calories during the day, and those calories, assuming you're not over eating, can be met with stored belly fat. Weight training should be a component of any fat loss program.

In addition to this, it's important for us to push our bodies past the point of comfort. Our bodies at present are at equilibrium, using close to the amount of calories we consume. If we want to shed the pounds, we need to tip this scale a bit, burning more calories in the day than we consume. This forces our bodies to release stored belly fat as energy. But long cardio sessions pale in comparison to the metabolic changes which occur through interval training, a combination of aerobic and anaerobic training.

Aerobic training requires oxygen to fuel our muscles, whereas anaerobic training requires our body to function at a level that cannot be sustained for any real length of time, and thus draws on other sources of immediate energy stored in the muscles. Anaerobic training includes sprinting, kickboxing, and certain kinds of weightlifting. When we operate at a level like this it forces our bodies to release hormones that are conducive both for muscle creation and fat loss.

Your typical interval training session will include and alternate between moderate and high intensity levels for less than 30 minutes. An example of this might be jogging at a moderate pace for 5 minutes, then sprinting for 1 minute, followed by 2 minutes of jogging, 1 minute of sprinting, etc. 2 minutes of jogging followed by 1 minute of sprinting is one round or set, and this ought to be repeated 3 to 5 times depending on skill level. 20 minutes of interval training is more effective than 45 minutes of straight cardio jogging.

So for those of you wondering how to get rid of belly fat, we've just discussed the second part of the two piece puzzle. Adhere to these two principles of caloric adjustment and your belly fat will jiggle away.

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